Sixth-grader Chihaya Ayase’s dream was to see her sister become a top model in Japan. But things change when she meets her new classmate, Arata Wataya, who tells her that a dream should be about her own life, not someone else’s, and shares with her his dream to become a master champion of “karuta* competition,” a Japanese traditional card game. Deeply impressed to see the usually quiet Arata retrieving karuta cards with intense concentration, Chihaya is drawn into this world along with her childhood friend, Taichi Mashima. Arata was also happy to become friends and play karuta with them and was surprised to learn that Chihaya possesses a remarkable hearing ability. After graduating elementary school, they went their separate ways.

Four years passed and Chihaya became a high school girl. She learned that Arata quit karuta when he returned to his hometown. However, holding on to a strong conviction that she would meet Arata again if she continues karuta, Chihaya sets up a karuta club at her high school with Taichi.

Produced by Madhouse, this animation series is based on the hit comics which have been serialized in “BE・LOVE” (Kodansha) since 2007. Dynamic scenes of karuta competition in this comic series have attracted not only women but also men, resulting in total sales of more than 4.5 million copies of the comic series (as of August 2011).

The scenes of karuta competition, full of action and speed, are a “must see” in this animation series.

*karuta: A traditional card game familiar to all Japanese. Karuta competition, established about 100 years ago, can be enjoyed by men and women of all ages. One of the competition rules is to use Ogura Hyakunin Isshu (“One Hundred Poets, One Hundred Poems”), a Japanese ancient poetry anthology which is said to have been compiled approximately 800 years ago.